Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1963)

10— TELEVISION DIGEST JANUABY 28, 1963 Gallo, warranty cord returns show that about 4 out of 5 piurchasers have FM stereo, almost all ore component hi-fi enthusiasts. Antenna system is made by Gallo Electronics Corp., 12 Potter Ave., New Rochelle, N.Y. Carl Gallo, former director of Lincoln School of Radio-Electronics, developed his antenna concept in 1956 for his own use as indoor ham transmitting & receiving antenna. He now plans new versions for TV, shortwave, citizens bond, marine & amateur bond. Initial comments from users, according to Gallo, have been enthusiastic. (First unit was installed in East Side N.Y. apartment of Lucille Ball.) Although antenna is omnidirectional, Gallo claims it is not subject to multipath reception, often a severe problem in FM stereo. Officials of 24-hour FM stereo station WTFM Fresh Meadow, N.Y. (on which Gallo has been buying time) say they have tested antenna and found that it provides excellent FM stereo reception in most cases. Antenna system will be marketed through both one & 2-step distribution systems under marketing consultant Irving Greene. Larry Dubow is sales dir. No OEM sales, private-labeling or licensing are planned. If system works nearly as well as preliminary reports indicate, you can expect rash of similar and not-sosimilar items on market. Importance of new gadget is that it may be first step toward eliminating biggest roadblock to widespread acceptance of FM stereo — need for outdoor antenna. TV DISTRIBUTOR SALES UP 9% IN 1962: Preliminary vmofficial sales estimates place 1962 distributor sales of black-&-white TV at 6,286,000, or 9% above 1961's 5,775,000. Radio sales were up 5% to 11,760,000 from 11,225,000. Adding an estimated 350-400,000 color TV sales, TV had its best year since 1956 (when 7,028,000 sets were sold). Radio sales year was best in 13 years. If auto sets are included in total (more than 7 million), it was best in 15 years and 2nd best on record. (TV & radio figures include sets in distribution by U.S. manufacturers, including imported units which are sold by American set makers.) Industry entered 1963 with inventories in good shape. TV stocks were 14% below lost year at manufacturer level, about same as end of 1962 at distributor level. In radio, factory inventories were up 15%, distributor down 7%. El A predicted another good year in 1963, with factory sales remaining about same os this year. In newly published Electronic Industries Review, 1962-63, EIA this week forecast b&w TV factory sales of 6.2-6.3 million TVs (vs. 6,340,000 in 1962), radio factory sales of nearly 12.5 million (up from 11,695,000), phono sales remaining steady at 5 million, auto radio sales dipping to 6.5 (from 7.2 million). Although consumer electronics factory sales wiU rise in dollar volume this year, EIA sees biggest growth area in electronics as industrial field, going to $2.7 billion from 1962's $2.4 billion. Aided by an anticipated $1.4 billion increase in govt, electronics spending (to $9 billion), EIA now predicts that by close of 1963, electronics will rise from its present position of 5th industry to nation's 4th largest industry. 1962 TV IMPORTS — 2% OF MARKET: Imports of Japanese TV sets totaled more than 130,000 units, or over 2% of domestic market for black-&-white sets. This is more than 6 times lost year's negligible total of about 20,000. Based on arrivals at U.S. ports, Delmonico International accovmted for about 50% of imports, or more than 61,000 sets. Sony appears to be No. 2 importer for 1962, with about 19,000 sets. Others, in approximate order: Olympic, 14,000; Matsushita, 14,000; Westrex, 10,000; Sharp, 9,000; Symphonic, 2,000. Imports in 1963 are certain to be substantially above last year's figure. Many companies (Symphonic, Sharp, Matsushita, Channel Master) ore just beginning their TV import programs or just starting to bring in new models. Matsushita, for example, has now joined tinyvision race, introducing new 5 & 9-in. battery sets at last week's Independent Housewares Show (at $229.95 & oroimd $260, battery $29.95). Japanese govt. TV export figures indicate heavy influx of TVs is on way. For first 11 months of last year, govt, said 137,875 TVs were exported to U.S., of which 29,152 were transistorized (Vol. 3:2 plO). Export figures are often higher than import figtires because of time in transit.